When the captain shot in Africa

Seldom do we come across a politician with stronghold in varied interests. If soldier-turned-politician Captain Amarinder Singh has made a reckoning in the battlefield of Punjab politics, he has wielded his pen with equal flourish by writing on war and Sikh history; the scion of Patiala’s erstwhile royal family excels in flying and shooting — yes, with a camera too.

Seldom do we come across a politician with stronghold in varied interests. If soldier-turned-politician Captain Amarinder Singh has made a reckoning in the battlefield of Punjab politics, he has wielded his pen with equal flourish by writing on war and Sikh history; the scion of Patiala’s erstwhile royal family excels in flying and shooting — yes, with a camera too.

Here comes another shot to precision by the former chief minister of Punjab — African Wildlife — a three-day photo exhibition by Captain Amarinder Singh, Jaskaran Sandhu and Gautam Kapoor at Artfolio in Sector 9.

“The exhibition displays the pictures taken by Jaskaran Sandhu (wildlife photographer) and myself in South Africa, while the snapshots by Gautam Kapoor (owner of Radisson Hotel, Jalandhar) were clicked in Kenya. We undertook a trip to Africa, including a few days in South Africa, to get an overview of wildlife conservation there. South Africa has very well maintained animal parks and reserves, something Punjab lacks and can easily make room for, especially in the foothills of the Shivalik range,” says Capt Amarinder, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief whose love for photography is more than five decades strong.

“I started with the bulky Brownie and tried many a camera thereafter, but eventually I stuck to a Canon,” he says, crediting his father, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, for his love for the fantastic frames of the wild.

“My father was a great photographer of the flora and fauna,” says Capt Amarinder who feels technological and digital advancement is a “great opportunity” for photographers.

Well, politics may be far from picture-perfect, but the Captain knows what it takes to click well. So, be it the majestic herd of elephants against the golden ground and aqua sky of South Africa, the perked-up Kudo looking straight into the camera, it is his eye that captures it all beautifully.

The exhibition is open to public on February 2 and 3 at Artfolio, House no 351, Sector 9